Christian Louboutin Kate 85 vs. Sporty Kate 85 is perhaps the most frequently asked question among Louboutin buyers. Before delving into the comparison, it’s essential to note that Kate heels are based on the So Kate heels, originally designed for the iconic model Kate Moss in 2013.
The Christian Louboutin So Kate 120 heels stand out as one of the most iconic pointy-toe pumps, but their height, at 120mm, can be daunting for many. Consequently, So Kate heels are ideal for short periods of wear or may end up residing in a wardrobe for extended periods.
To address this, Christian Louboutin introduced the Kate 85 and Sporty Kate 85 as a solution. To ensure the accuracy of this comparison, I reached out to Miranda from Christian Louboutin Vancouver.
Both Kate 85 and Sporty Kate 85 feature 85mm heels. Despite its name, Sporty Kate isn’t akin to sports cars; rather, the term “Sporty” emphasises its comfort-focused design. Sporty Kate 85 incorporates softer materials reminiscent of sports shoes with black insoles, while Kate 85 employs more traditional materials. Notably, Sporty Kate 85 is adorned with a CL logo.
In my assessment, Sporty Kate 85 appears designed for daily office wear and general day-to-day activities, while Kate 85 serves as the backup option for those who adore the So Kate 120 but seek a more manageable heel height.
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One of the most remarkable collaborations in the world of fashion has been between Doctor Bored and Christian Louboutin. Thanks to Doctor Bored’s influence, Christian Louboutin revived the iconic 130mm heels collection, making it a coveted item for fashion enthusiasts. If you were fortunate enough to secure a pair from this collection, consider yourself truly lucky, as these heels are now being sold at astonishing prices on platforms like eBay.
Recently, I had the privilege of connecting with Doctor Bored through Instagram. Following our insightful conversation, I had the opportunity to request an interview, and he graciously agreed to share his insights for my blog. This interview provides a unique glimpse into the world of a collaborator of Christian Louboutin, shedding light on the creative process and the fascinating stories that unfolded behind the scenes.
Read on for the exclusive interview:
Can you explain how did you become a designer?
My journey as a footwear designer wasn’t all straight forward. Drawing has been my passion since I was able to hold a pen with my left hand. I later got hooked on the world of fashion in my teenage years with designers like John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. After High school, I studied garment design at Esmod in Lyon, and in Paris where I graduated. I then had a very hard time finding the right internship so I ended up working at a PR firm for about a year. In spite of a very interesting and challenging time in the fashion PR world, I started to feel restless. I missed creating. I eventually left my job and found an internship as a footwear designer for a French brand called Mellow Yellow. They kept me as designer for about five years. I since moved on to being a pin-up illustrator and free-lance footwear designer. That’s where I am today.
What does fetish mean to you?
Fetish is such a complicated word. In my mind it is an obsession. I don’t see it as necessarily sexual but it certainly takes over your mind in a very peculiar way. When I started working on my illustration project Doctor Bored, I decided to first focus on fetishism, mostly the heel fetish but also all the decorum it implies like corsets, stockings, opera gloves, leather, riding crops and so on. It helped me set the ton and create a whole world filled with glamourous creatures, my Boredettes that are a mix of Dita Von Teese, Jessica Rabbit and various other references like Betty Boop and Disney’s Snow White, basically beautiful ladies in high heels.
I’ve always had a « thing » for high heels. As a child I never understood why I prefered some heels more than others. I later understood that the height of the heel was this big reason. That’s how I started to look up to designers like Christian Louboutin or historical shoemaker Maison Ernest. They were some of the only luxury houses to make heels higher than 110-120mm.
Your collaboration with Christian Louboutin was a great success. How did this happen?
It’s kind of a digital age fairytale. I’ve always been an admirer of Louboutin’s collections. It was one of my wildest dreams to ever work for him. Back in 2020, during the pandemic I met YazBukey on Instagram (who later did a gorgeous collection in collaboration with Louboutin as well). She and I had a great phone call and vowed to meet in person when we would be free. After the first lockdown (actually the day before the second one here) she invited me over for tea. As I usually do I brought her one of my illustrations as a gift. One of her friends saw it on Instagram and it was Christian’s closest collaborator. He showed my work to Christian and they called me to set up a meeting. We started working together in January 2021 and the rest is shoe-story !
From your words, what do you think and feel about Louboutin’s 130mm collection? For some people including me, they are art pieces.
In my opinion, the Louboutin’s 130mm collection is one of the boldest moves they ever made, especially business wise. He launched a collection of heels so high that very few people can actually walk in them. Despite that, people bought them anyway and are still collecting them to this day. They may not be the commercial success that a So Kate is, but they are true objects of desire. I agree with you, they are art pieces but also they have this dangerous sex-appeal that any forbidden item exudes. It shows how attached Christian is to creating something of his own, in spite of trends, business and even wearability!
I personally have an obsession with the Merci Allen 130, In my opinion it is the most perfect pump ever created ! That’s why when we started working on our collection together, I immediately asked to use this last and heel. As they had not released a 130mm heel in years I was very surprised that they agreed on making the Pinupina 130, which sold out very quickly ! This design in particular is my pride and joy !
Lastly, can you tell about your latest work with Christian Louboutin and La Fayette Paris?
Christian’s collaborator Hugo called me one day with this project, he needed me to illustrate legs wearing silver So Kate pumps walking on a red carpet for a very special project. It didn’t take long, they had a very clear concept and things moved on quite quickly after that ! It’s a very special project to me because I moved to Paris exactly ten years ago and started working as a shoe salesman at the Galeries Lafayette in July 2013. Ten years later, there were giant illustrations of mine on this magnificent building, in the heart of Paris. When I saw them for the first time, it was a reel pinch me moment for me. I couldn’t be more grateful to Christian, Hugo and the team for this opportunity.
You can follow Doctor Bored on Instagram @doctorbored
Christian Louboutin’s Hot Chick 130mm heels are no longer available to purchase from the stores. Despite this, there is still high demand for these heels, as evidenced by the traffic on my blog for articles about the Hot Chick 130mm.
I decided to research the possibility of ordering a pair of Christian Louboutin’s Hot Chick 130mm heels, even though they are no longer available in online stores. I discovered that it is possible to order these heels directly from Christian Louboutin. Miranda from @cl___miranda on Instagram, who works at Christian Louboutin, was kind enough to explain to me the process of ordering a pair of Hot Chick 130mm heels.
From Miranda;
Sure.. so to order to need to have. A previous spend with louboutin and the order process is lengthy. Takes up to. 4 weeks to find out if the style is still feasible and if they have the material and color etc then I get quotes a price and I have to take payment in full. The shoe goes into production and then we wait 4 months to be completed.
To sum up, it is possible to order a pair of Christian Louboutin Hot Chick 130mm heels, although they may be more expensive. According to Susanne, who works at Christian Louboutin, it is also possible to order other products that are no longer available for purchase.
If you are living outside of Canada and want to order a pair of custom Christian Louboutin heels, you can find the nearest boutique on their website.
After a long wait, Christian Louboutin has reintroduced 160 mm platform heels. This time, the heels are thinner and pay homage to Dolly Parton, Dolly Pump Alta 160 mm.
You now have the opportunity to buy both a pair of pumps and boots with 160 mm platform heels. You don’t need to worry about a winter night without a pair of 160 mm platform boots. Both summer and winter attire is resolved for you, thanks to the timeless and elegant design of Dolly heels.
Dolly Pump Alta and Booty Alta are designed by Maison Christian Louboutin. They are only available for a limited time. Despite all the unique details of these heels, they are not that expensive! For £875, you will be getting lots of glam and elegance.
The 150 mm platforms heels are back to Christian Louboutin, Chick Up 150 mm!
Christian Louboutin recently revealed the Doctor Bored collection, and I’ve already covered the brand’s other heels on my blog. It has been a long time since Louboutin released a pair of 150mm platform pumps. This is mainly due to customer demand and ongoing trends.
Now, Louboutin has quietly unveiled its platform heels collection. This is nothing unusual; after a crisis, there is always a need for higher heels. Now, let’s get ready to see some super high heels from Louboutin.
These heels are limited edition. So, they are likely to go for good if you’re not quick enough!
Christian Louboutin released two new mules, Pin Up 100 mm and Pin Up Strass 100 mm. They are both limited edition and designed by Doctor Bored. The fluffy mules are inspired by the pin-ups and offer an exquisite visual experience. An eye-catching feature of these heels is the pin-up print on the inner sole, and each pair offers a different print!
I am sure these mules are already collector’s items, and their owners will rarely wear them to keep the inner sole print alive for years.
If you haven’t bought them, they are still available to buy online!
I have shocking news! Christian Louboutin’s iconic no platform 130mm stiletto heels are back for a short time, Pinupina 130mm. They are sold out in UK online store (£845). I was expecting these heels to be sold out rapidly.
Pinupina 130mm is based on the iconic Merci Allen 130mm. However, this time, Louboutin collaborated with an artist, Doctor Bored. Pinupina features a unique design with a colourful print on the side, inspired by the pin-ups. The inner sole is also red. This is something new with the Louboutin. They started to offer red inner soles!
We’re currently in a pandemic, and travelling isn’t easy. Just in case you’ve managed to get somewhere hot and next to the sea, you might consider making the occasion once in a lifetime with Tom Ford. Tom Ford recently revealed a beach collection for people who want to be stylish wherever they go.
Tom Ford’s beach collection is called ‘Fucking Fabulous.’ The collection comes with a nice beach towel and a beach tote bag. Both loudly feature the collection’s name, so be careful with any possible offence or negative reactions.
Both the towel and the tote bag are available in three striking colours: black, hot pink, and African violet. Try to avoid black because this colour will absorb the sun’s heat and burn you like nothing else!
Sadly, there are no shoes available to go with Tom Ford’s new collection. If you are brave enough, I would highly recommend Tom Ford’s Disco Ball platform sandals. They have enough surface to prevent sinking in the sand and complete your Tom Ford look with an outstanding style.
Maison Ernest is an iconic French shoe brand founded in 1904. Unlike Louboutin, it managed to stay under the radar for decades but focused on its unique style and on pushing the boundaries with high-quality craftsmanship, especially its ‘Favorite Rouge’ 14cm mules.
For nearly two months, the world has been under lockdown, and we live and work at home. Unfortunately, many fashion labels still haven’t managed to rebrand their collections as loungewear. They still offer holiday collections, and I really don’t know who is buying them.
Despite the lockdown, there is a new opportunity that is slowly emerging. Loungewear! We don’t want to wear the same things again and again. After some time, we find it boring and miss the good old days, when we could wear something different.
During this lockdown, then, there are some opportunities, especially for shoe brands! This could include redefining home slippers or mules. Recently, Engineering In Heels decided to get rid of her boring slippers and colour up her loungewear style, and she started to wear some outstanding mules from Maison Ernest – the 14cm, no-platform mules called ‘Favourite Rouge’.
Maison Ernest designed these extreme heels by drawing on their long design heritage and created something unique that can be worn by someone who’s willing to take the risk. And there’s no better time than the lockdown to give a try to your most extreme heels at home. Not only will you cheer yourself up, but you may also find yourself a new style combination.
Life in the middle of a pandemic is extraordinary. We have experienced things that would normally only happen in cheap science-fiction movies. I don’t want to write about the pandemic yet again. Nevertheless, I would like to highlight some of the ‘fun aspects’ of the pandemic, achieved thanks to YSL.
2020 and 2021 were and are the years of working and exercising at home. We saw many companies try to revise their products to match the new expectations of consumers. Some of them did well, some of them failed, and some of them achieved something truly transformational. That’s YSL!
YSL recently introduced a set of dumbbells to exercise with at home, at a cost of £850! You don’t need to convert this into your own currency. It’s clearly expensive.
These are just two gold-painted dumbbells. They are not anything special. For instance, they do not contain microchips to connect with your smartphone. They are simply metal weights. You can probably find similar ones at your nearest junkyard.
In case you are not yet surprised enough, let’s take another example. YSL have also introduced a pair of fluffy stiletto mules with 10cm heels. As people don’t go out often these days, I assume these mules are designed to be worn at home. And I have great news: these fluffy stiletto mules are only £850!
So, you can exercise at home with gold-painted dumbbells, while wearing your fluffy stilettos, for just £1700! Cheaper than a MacBook Pro 16-inch laptop. From a human psychological perspective, I have no doubt that these YSL dumbbells and mules will generate a few smiles during these pandemic times.
